How to Tame a Pesky Canker Sore

By

Avery Johnson

Updated Jan. 28, 2014 1:08 p.m. ET

A painful spot in your mouth can be annoying—and a little mysterious. Did you bite your cheek and not notice? One possibility is a canker sore. About 80% of adults get these small ulcers at one point or another, and they occur more often in young women, says Wendy Stern, an ear, nose and throat doctor and medical director of otolaryngology services at the South Coast Hospital Group. Here's Dr. Stern's advice on how to handle a canker sore.